PNP: Voting yet to start in 21 Datu Odin Sinsuat precincts as of late afternoon

Twenty-one polling precincts in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte have yet to begin casting votes as of late Monday afternoon despite the scheduled start of voting at 7 a.m.

In an update as of 4 p.m., the Philippine National Police (PNP) said 37,498 or 99.93% of 37,525 polling precincts across the country have started casting votes.

Six polling precincts have ended their operation including five in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and one in Western Visayas.

Police officers have taken over as special electoral boards (SEBs) in Datu Odin Sinsuat after the protest of a political party, the Police Regional Office Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO BAR) earlier said.

PRO BAR spokesperson Police Lieutenant Colonel Jopy Ventura said a total of 312 cops serve as poll workers in Datu Odin Sinsuat.

“Kanina po, bago po ilabas yung election paraphernalias doon sa munisipyo po ng Datu Odin Sinsuat nagkaroon po ng protesta itong mga supporters po ng [United Bangsamoro Justice Party],” Ventura said.

(Earlier, before the election paraphernalia were released in the Datu Odin Sinsuat municipality, there was a protest by the United Bangsamoro Justice Party supporters.)

“Umabot po yan hanggang ngayong almost 10 o'clock. Nagkaroon po ng negotiation. At pinoprotesta na po ng isang vice mayoralty candidate is kung puwede daw po pulis daw po yung mag-act po as SEBs,” he added.

(That lasted until almost 10 o'clock today. There was a negotiation. And a vice mayoralty candidate was protesting for police officers to act as SEBs,” he added.

In a 5 p.m. press briefing, Ventura said the voting in the affected precincts started around 2 p.m.

The early voting hours for senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and pregnant women were set from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. but they can still vote beyond 7 a.m. and until precincts close, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

The early voting hours for senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and pregnant women were set from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m., according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

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Meanwhile, the regular voting hours were set from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. –NB/RF, GMA Integrated News